Trump says he wants to "wean" states off FEMA aid after hurricane season

Washington — President Trump said Tuesday that his administration wants to "wean" states off assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency after this year's hurricane season.

The presidents's remarks came after he received a briefing from top administration officials about wildfire and emergency management. He claimed that FEMA has not been successful, and said governors are better positioned to respond to natural disasters like hurricanes, wildfires and tornadoes.

"We want to wean off of FEMA and we want to bring it down to the state level — a little bit like education, we're moving it back to the states," Mr. Trump said.

The president said his plan is for governors to work with one another and "give each other a hand."

"It has not worked out well," he said of FEMA, which was created in 1979. "It's extremely expensive and, again, when you have a tornado or a hurricane or you have a problem of any kind, in a state, that's what you have governors for. They're supposed to fix those problems, and it's much more local and they'll develop a system, and it will be a great system."

Mr. Trump has floated eliminating FEMA altogether or turning it into a "support agency" that provides supplemental federal assistance to states. The president took executive action in January to establish a FEMA Review Council to examine the agency's disaster capabilities and assess the adequacy of its disaster response during former President Joe Biden's administration.

FEMA has been roiled by Mr. Trump's initiative aimed at slashing the size of the federal government. More than 200 probationary workers were fired from the agency earlier this year, and the administration overhauled contract renewals for more than two-thirds of FEMA's workforce.

The changes came just before the start of hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30. The National Weather Service predicted this year will see an above-normal Atlantic hurricane season with between three and five major storms, which are T least Category 3.

FEMA itself said in an internal agency presentation obtained by CBS News last month that its readiness process for hurricane season "has been derailed this year due to other activities like staffing and contractors." The presentation also said that as the agency "transforms to a smaller footprint, the intent for this hurricane season is not well understood, thus FEMA is not ready."

An official at the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees FEMA, said the agency is "fully activated in preparation for Hurricane Season."

But earlier this month, acting FEMA administrator David Richardson said during a daily briefing that he had not been aware that the U.S. has a hurricane season, three sources familiar with the meeting told CBS News.

Richardson's remark left FEMA employees confused, and it was not clear whether he made the comment as a joke, CBS News reported last week.

A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security suggested the comment was made in jest.

"Despite meanspirited attempts to falsely frame a joke as policy, there is no uncertainty about what FEMA will be doing this Hurricane Season. FEMA is laser focused on disaster response, and protecting the American people," the spokesperson said.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Tuesday in the Oval Office that FEMA is ready for hurricane season, but added that she is preparing governors to see federal involvement limited when responding to future disasters.

"While we are running this hurricane season, making sure that we have pre-staged and worked with the regions that are traditionally hit in these areas, we're also building communication and mutual-aid agreements among states to respond to each other so that they can stand on their own two feet, with the federal government coming in in catastrophic circumstances with funding," she said.

Noem reiterated that Mr. Trump has said he wants to see FEMA in its current form "eliminated" and is working to see that through.

"This agency fundamentally needs to go away as it exists, and we need to have a response to states that supports them when terrible things come and when the worst day of their lives happens, to where the financial resources are there but they have decision-making power right there in the states to respond," she said.